Hall for Cornwall Announces Receipt of £2.1 Million ERDF Funding

£2.1 million of European funding has been secured by Hall for Cornwall from the European Regional Development Fund.

The £2.1 million award will fund QuayWorks, a significant part of the proposed Capital redevelopment project which, alongside a new theatre auditorium and the Heritage Lottery Funded Revealing City Hall: One Building, 1265 Voices project, will transform Hall for Cornwall into a dynamic centre for cultural and economic growth.

QuayWorks will be a fully accessible creative business project in the Back Quay area of the building, providing 1,156m square metres of offices, meeting and circulation space over three floors. It will provide high digital comms specification, flexible workspace to nurture post-graduates, new talent and start-up businesses, within the digital and creative economy.

The mezzanine floor will provide lettable space, targeted at Cornwall's creative industries. The first floor and upper mezzanine levels will provide office accommodation for the theatre's own staff. Some of the space will have shared occupancy with Hall for Cornwall's associate companies and artists and this, combined with elements of public meeting spaces, will provide an environment to stimulate collaborative working.

QuayWorks will also be driven by a collaboration between Hall for Cornwall and Falmouth University. The university is supporting the growth of new start-ups in the digital, creative and technology industries through its ground-breaking business incubation programme, Launchpad. QuayWorks will provide a creative workspace for some of these new businesses that could benefit from working alongside others, in an atmosphere of collaboration and innovation.

Commenting on the award, Julien Boast, Director of Hall for Cornwall said:

"We're delighted that the European Regional Development Fund has given us this support. QuayWorks is integral to advancing the development of the creative industries sector in Cornwall that will have national significance. We hope to encourage collaborative partnerships between developing businesses, emerging digital innovators and our own resident artists and companies, to drive creative innovation, knowledge sharing and job creation. This exciting news is further testimony to the confidence shown in our ambitious redevelopment project, that will not only drive economic and cultural growth in Truro, but also give access to the very best performing arts, to rival any city in the country".

Cornwall Council's Portfolio Holder for Economy and Culture, Julian German, said; "The Hall for Cornwall is a key part of our cultural infrastructure and the creative industries are the fastest growing part of our economy. I am, therefore, delighted that this funding has been awarded by the European Regional Development Fund".

Sarah Newton, MP for Truro and Falmouth commented: "Congratulations to Julien for his vision and leadership for the future of Hall for Cornwall. Cornwall has thriving creative industries and this new workspace will help them continue to grow".